Former science and technology secretary conned of ₹57 lakh in ‘online digital arrest scam’

The Cyber Crime Wing of the Greater Chennai City Police has intensified its investigation and traced cyber fraudsters operating from abroad who defrauded ₹57 lakh from former Secretary to the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, T. Ramasami, 77. He is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, besides several other awards.

Police said Mr. Ramasami received an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) call in September, purportedly from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller alleged that SIM cards had been purchased in his name and that 14 complaints related to illegal advertisements and other crimes had been registered against him. He was instructed to appear at a Delhi police station within an hour.

Subsequently, he was asked to connect them via WhatsApp. When the victim said he did not have the application installed on his mobile phone, he was instructed to download it. The fraudsters, impersonating Delhi Police officials, then contacted him through WhatsApp and continued to level fabricated charges, including allegations of involvement in human trafficking and the opening of bank accounts in his name at a Canara Bank branch in Mumbai.

When Mr. Ramasami denied the allegations, the fraudsters displayed his Aadhaar card and a Canara Bank debit card bearing his name during a WhatsApp video call, convincing him that his personal data had been compromised. Believing them to be genuine police officers, he followed their instructions and isolated himself from his family and friends, police said.

The complainant was coerced into transferring all his funds to a fake Reserve Bank account for “verification”. The fraudsters assured him that the money would be returned if it was found to be legitimate. Under this pretext, he was instructed to transfer his savings and fixed deposits.

In total, Mr. Ramasami transferred ₹57 lakh to accounts specified by the fraudsters. The money was then dispersed across multiple bank accounts, withdrawn through cheques in different parts of the State, and subsequently converted into cryptocurrency to obscure the money trail. The funds were swiftly transferred abroad on the same day, using agents to facilitate withdrawals and laundering operations.

Based on his complaint, a case was registered on November 6 by the Cyber Crime Wing of the Central Crime Branch.

A senior police officer said a dedicated team had been formed exclusively to crack down on the “digital arrest” scam syndicate. “Using advanced technical tools and blockchain analysis, the team identified that the WhatsApp calls originated from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The funds received in mule accounts were diversified across multiple bank accounts, layered through shell entities, and eventually routed to foreign wallets or cryptocurrency exchanges. These online operations were controlled from Tokyo and Singapore,” the officer said.

Greater Chennai City Police Commissioner A. Arun cautioned the public against such fake calls, high-profit investment advertisements, fraudulent investment apps, and websites. He advised people not to transfer money to unknown bank accounts and warned that those who open bank accounts to facilitate fraudulent transactions would also face legal action.